Vibrating feeder trough



Feb. 11, 1964 G. H. PlEL VIBRATING FEEDER TROUGH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledSept. 16, 1959 INVENTOR. 460/420; 212 BY M1. 4 MM 1 14/7 z/zrf.

Feb. 11, 1964 e. H. PIEL 3,120,838

' VIBRATING' FEEDER TROUGH Filed Sept. 16 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 AINVENTOR. 32 A/ zzfihzarMza 11 11 BY h). 4.

United States Patent 3,120,888 WBRATHVG FEEDER TROUGH Gerhardt H. Piel,West Chicago, ill, assignor to Owensilllinois Glass Company, acorporation of Ohio Filed Elcpt. 16, 1959, Ser. No. 840,428 7 Claims.(421. 198-33) The present invention relates to a method forautomatically orienting tapered closures or other truncated cone shapedobjects to a uniform position, said position being a standing positionwith the major diameter end of said closure being up. More particularly,the invention rellates to an improved vibrating feeder trough havingspecially shaped rails fixed to the trough. The effect of the rails isthat they orient tapered closures to a standing position as the closuresare propelled forward along the trough by vibrations induced to thetrough. In addition to the specially shaped rails, the vibrating feedertrough also contains other means to aid in orienting the taperedclosures or truncated con-e shaped objects.

Vibrating feeder troughs are commonly used for conveying or feedingsmall objects. Many times these objects are to be conveyed to somefurther operation where the machine performing the operation requiresthat the objects objects be conveyed or fed to it in a uniform position.This is true with respect to tapered closures, when liners have to beinserted in the closures. Prior to being fed to the lining machine,which is a machine which automatically inserts liners in closures, theclosures have to be sequentially conveyed from a hopper and have to beoriented to a uniform position, namely with their open ends uppermost.One method of doing this would be to manually pick up each taperedclosure and place it in a standing position with the major diameter endof the said closure up. in this position, the closure then could be fedinto the lining machine. This method has the obvious disadvantagesassociated with manual labor, namely, being too slow and costly.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a method ofsimultaneously sequentially feeding and orienting tapered closures orother truncated cone shaped objects to an upright position with themajor diameter end up.

Another object of this invention is to provide an imroved vibratingfeeder trough which will orient tapered closures or other truncatedshaped objects to a standing position with the major diameter end upsimultaneously with the sequential conveyance of said objects.

A further object of this invention is to provide a method for orientingtapered closures or truncated cone shaped objects without manualassistance.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an improvedvibrating feeder trough for tapered closures which will orient suchtapered closures to a desired uniform position and will prohibitunoriented closures from passing from the feeder trough.

The specific nature of this invention, as Well as othe objects andadvantages thereof, will become apparent to those skilled in the artfrom the following detailed description taken in conjunction with theannexed sheets of drawings on which, by way of example only, thepreferred embodiments of this invention are illustrated.

As represented by the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vibrating feeder trough incorporatingan orienting device in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the vibrating feeder trough,enclosed chute and vibration induction unit with parts in section.

FIG. 3 is a sectional View on the plane 3-3 of H6. 1 showing a taperedclosure in properly oriented position.

FlG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3, with one air tube and onepencil'shaped rod removed for purposes of clarity, showing a taperedclosure improperly oriented relative to the feeder trough.

The present invention relates to an improved vibrating tfeeder trough itwherein tapered closures or similarly shaped objects 2t? areautomatically oriented to a standing position with the major diameter ropen end 21 up as the closures 2d are propelled forward by vibrationsinduced to the feeder trough ill. The improved vibrating ieeder it?comprises generally a U-shaped, inclined trough member 11' having atleast a pair of specially shaped, transversely spaced rails 35longitudinally fixed in upstanding relation to the bottom or bed 11a ofthe said trough it, and extending to a discharge chute 40 attached tothe discharge end of the trough 1i. Adjacent to the rails 3'3 are airblast means 6% and cam means '79 to further aid in orienting the taperedclosures The vibrating feeder trough id is of any standard type having atrough ill, leaf spring means 15 for supporting one end of the troughill, and means 14 for inducing vibrations to the trough 11. The means 14for inducing vibrations comprises a conventional electrical vibrationinduction unit.

The orienting rails 39 are Wedge-shaped, having lower edges 32 abuttingthe bottom of the trough i1 and sloped upper edges 31. Each rail 3t maybe formed from a sin le sheet of material bent longitudinally to form aU, the light portion of U-shape constituting the lower edge 32.

The rails are located adjacent the discharge end 12 of the trough ii,the discharge end 33 of the rails terminating at the discharge chute 4'1Each pair of rails 3b is spaced apart a distance slightly less than themajor diameter 21 of the tapered closure 2-? but greater than theminimum diameter end 24. This spacing allows the taper-ed portion 23 ofa tapered closure placed between the rails in a standing position withthe major diameter end 21 up, as illustrated in FF. 3, to be supportedby the upper edges 31 of a pair of rails 3- A tapered closure 2% havingan overall height greater than its major diameter 21 would not be ableto pass through a channel 559 in a lying down, inverted, or crookedposition as shown in FIG. 4-.

That portion 31a of the upper edge 31 of a rail 3%, which is locatedtoward the discharge end 12 of the trough ll, is essentially parallel tothe bed lid of thtrough F11 and spaced therefrom by a distancesufiicient to give some vertical clearance between the bed of the trough11 and the dome 24 of a tapered closure: il properly supported in achannel 56 by tw rails 36!.

The entire lateral width of the trough i1 is occupied by the spaced feedrails 30, with the outermost rails being closely adjacent the chute sidewalls lib. A vertical stop wall .13 traverses trough 11 just beyond thedischarge ends of rails and prevents horizontally disposed closures 2%from rolling out of trough ii on top of rails 3%.

Attached to the lower discharge end 12 of the trough '17. is a moresharplyincl-ined enclosed chute it This is "lustrated in PEG. 2. Thechute 4% is of rectangular cross section and open at both ends. Thebottom ill of the chute it) and the bead lllia of the trough id meet andform a smooth surface. The internal vertical height of the chute id isgreater than the overall height of the tapered closure 2% beingoriented, but the resulting vertica-l clearance is less than that whichis required to permit a closure 23 to tip over in the chute 4i). Thechute it! may be constructed of any suitable material such as sheetmetal and supplies the oriented closures to any desired machine forfurther processing.

Longitudinal feeding vibrations are induced to the trough 11 by thevibration induction unit 14-. Closures s,i20,sss

are dropped in the trough i3; heterogeneously. The induced vibrationspropel tapered closures 2G in the trough 11 forward, that is, from thereceiving end lllc to the discharge end 12 of the trough 11. Theseunoriented tapered closures 2t} move forward until they contact theinclined portion of the upper edge 31 of the rails 36?. Theabove-described spacing of each adjacent pair of rails 3i} and theinclination of said upper rail edges 31 is such that the forward movingclosure 2a is forced to gradually assume a standing position with themajor diameter end 21 up as the said closure 2% moves along a particularchannel 56. This action results from the tapered shape of the closure 2%and the relatively heavy dome portion 24.

Occasionally a tapered closure 2% will succeed in climbing the rails 3tin an unoriented manner as illustrated in FIG. 4. To orient theseincorrectly positioned tapered closures 29, air blast means as and cammeans 7b are provided to lateralley deflect or unbalance such closures.

The air blast means 6'9 is located within each hollow rail 3% and henceoutside the channel of which the rail is a part. The air blast means isformed by fixing a tube 61 Within each said rail 3d, and locating theoutlet 62 of the tube 61 in such a position that pressured air emittedfrom the tube 61 will strike a tapered closure riding on top of and notproperly between the two rails fill. The air blast will laterallydeflect and unbalance an improperly oriented closure Eli and thistogether with the induced vibrations will cause the closure 2t) to seekits most stable position relative to the rails 3b which is the desiredoriented position.

It should be particularly noted that the disposition of the air blastWithin each trail 36 produces a maximum shifting force on improperlyoriented closures but has negligible effect on properly orientedclosures moving between rails 3 5'.

The cam means 7% comprises a pencil-shaped rod 71 located on the top ofthe rails 3t near the discharge end 33 thereof, and so positioned thatthe pointed end 7-2 of the rod 71 will contact a forward moving taperedclosure 2d riding on top of and not between two rails 36 forming achannel 5%. The closure 2% so contacted will tend to be laterallydeflected and hence to re-orient. This deflection and unbalancing of theclosure together with the action of the induced vibrations will causethe closure to fall into said channel 59.

Correctly oriented tapered closures 243, that is, closures 20 in astanding position with the major diameter end 21 up between two rails 30forming a channel 5t will move forward until they leave the rails 3b andenter the attached enclosed chute 4b. This chute 49, as beforedescribed, has a limited vertical clearance. This clearance is limitedso as to prevent the standing tapered closure ill from tipping over asit is propelled along in the chute 4d by the induced vibrations. Theproximate relationship between the ends 33 of the rails 36 and theenclosed chute 4% together 'with the aforementioned condition, that is,closures 2% may pass through a channel 5i! only in a standing positionwith the major diameter end 21 up, prevents improperly oriented closures24 from entering the enclosed chute 49 and hence prevents the improperlyoriented closures Zi from being discharged from the improved vibratingfeeder trough Ill.

Obviously, any desired number of channels 55} may be provided in thevibrating feeder trough ill. The number of channels 5%} is determined bythe rate of flow required, the size of the tapered closures and thewidth of trough ll. Within each channel 5%}, the closures are fedsequentially and in the desired oriented position.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of constructionmay be modified through a Wide range without departing from theprinciples of this invention, and

it is not, therefore, the purpose to limit the patent granted hereonother than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for orienting frustum-shapcd articles having major andminor diameter ends to a standing position with the major diameter endup comprising, a feeder trough having a bed portion, means forsupporting said trough with said bed portion inclined downwardly in aforward direction, at least one pair of upstanding longitudinallyextending rails fixed to the bed of said trough, said rails beingparallel to each other and spaced apart a distance less than said majordiameter but greater than said minor diameter, said rails defining achannel, said rails having their upper edges downwardly inclined attheir rearward ends relative to said bed to merge with said bed, andmeans for vibrating said trough to feed said articles forwardly alongsaid channel, with the minor diameter ends moving between said rails andsaid major diameter ends moving over the top edges of said rails wherebysaid articles will assume said standing position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 plus means for discharging pressured fluidout of the top surface of said rails, thereby deflecting any of saidarticles riding bodily on the top of said rails.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 plus means on said rails for laterallydeflecting any of said articles bodily riding on the top of said railsto force such closures to fall between said rails.

4. An improved vibrating feeder trough according to claim 1, plus an airdischarge tube located adjacent to said rails, means for supplyingpressured fluid to said tube, and said tube having its outlet sopositioned that air emitted therefrom will contact and shift any of saidarticles riding on top of said rails but not closures moving betweensaid rails.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein each of said rails is U-shaped andsaid tubes lie respectively within said rails and said fluid is emittedout of the top surface of said nails.

6. An improved vibrating feeder trough according to claim 1, havingarticle cam means, said means comprising a pencil-shaped rod located ontop of each of said rails with the pointed end opposite to the directionof article movement whereby said rod will contact and shift taperedarticles riding on top of said rails but not anticles moving betweensaid rails.

7. Apparatus for orienting articles having longitudinally spaced apartmajor and minor diameter ends to a standing position with the majordiameter end up comprising, a feeder trough having a bed portion, meansfor mounting said trough with said bed portion sloped downwardly in aforward direction, a plurality of upstanding longitudinally extendingrails fixed to the bed of said trough and defining a lateral series ofchannels, each pair of rails defining a channel being parallel to eachother and spaced apart a distance less than said major diameter butgreater than said minor diameter, said rails having their upper edgesdownwardly inclined at their rearward ends relative to said bed to mergewith said bed, and means for vibrating said trough to feed said articlesforwardly along said channels with the minor diameter ends movingbetween said rails and said major diameter ends moving over the topedges of said rails whereby said articles will gradually assume saidstanding position. I

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,972,489 Rideout Sept. 4, 1934 2,764,274 Griswold Sept. 25, 19562,790,532 Albertoli Apr. 30, 1957 2,863,552 Bailey Dec. 9, 1958

1. APPARATUS FOR ORIENTING FRUSTUM-SHAPED ARTICLES HAVING MAJOR ANDMINOR DIAMETER ENDS TO A STANDING POSITION WITH THE MAJOR DIAMETER ENDUP COMPRISING, A FEEDER TROUGH HAVING A BED PORTION, MEANS FORSUPPORTING SAID TROUGH WITH SAID BED PORTION INCLINED DOWNWARDLY IN AFORWARD DIRECTION, AT LEAST ONE PAIR OF UPSTANDING LONGITUDINALLYEXTENDING RAILS FIXED TO THE BED OF SAID TROUGH, SAID RAILS BEINGPARALLEL TO EACH OTHER AND SPACED APART A DISTANCE LESS THAN SAID MAJORDIAMETER BUT GREATER THAN SAID MINOR DIAMETER, SAID RAILS DEFINING ACHANNEL, SAID RAILS HAVING THEIR UPPER EDGES DOWNWARDLY INCLINED ATTHEIR REARWARD ENDS RELATIVE TO SAID BED TO MERGE WITH SAID BED, ANDMEANS FOR VIBRATING SAID TROUGH TO FEED SAID ARTICLES FORWARDLY ALONGSAID CHANNEL, WITH THE MINOR DIAMETER ENDS MOVING BETWEEN SAID RAILS ANDSAID MAJOR DIAMETER ENDS MOVING OVER THE TOP EDGES OF SAID RAILS WHEREBYSAID ARTICLES WILL ASSUME SAID STANDING POSITION.